Diving Malatapay in Zamboanguita, Philippines

View from the Critter Republic boat heading out to Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Divemaster Austin in his gear on the boat before the dive at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
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Austin Tuwiner
October 10, 2026

I dove Malatapay in October 2026 with Critter Republic, by boat out of Dauin, Philippines.

According to Justin, who owns Critter Republic, this is the best spot for finding blue-ringed octopus and flamboyant cuttlefish.

Dive Log · Zamboanguita, Philippines

Malatapay

Dive Data from my Garmin Descent MK3i
Max Depth
54ft / 16.5m
Avg Depth
22ft / 6.7m
Dive Time
62min
Water Temp
86°F / 30°C
Visibility
N/A
Entry
Boat
Recommended Certification
Open Water
Reef Asia 9.120917, 123.213455

The Dive

Arriving at the site, Justin told us this is the time of year that's best to see blue-ringed octopus.

He was wanting to specifically photograph them there, although he didn't see any.

There were plenty of flamboyant cuttlefish.

Justin asked me if I wanted to go muck diving or to a shallow reef, and I went to the shallow reef.

It sounds like this dive site has both.

View from the Critter Republic boat heading out to Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Divemaster Austin in his gear on the boat before the dive at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Hard coral reef with fish above at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Table corals on the reef at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Branching and hard corals across the reef at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Small fish over a large branching coral at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Purple fish over finger coral at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
A large plate coral among other corals at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Hard coral covers much of the reef.
A tall coral formation rising from the reef at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Coral and feather stars on the edge of the reef at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines

I found a flamboyant cuttlefish, but no blue-ringed octopus.

Later that day we dove Thalatta.

I logged 54 ft (16.5 m) at the deepest, with an average of 22 ft (6.7 m) across 62 minutes.

What Marine Life I Saw

Here is some of the other life I saw on the dive.

A sea turtle swimming in open water at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
A sea turtle resting on the coral at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
A sea turtle on the reef at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Clownfish in an anemone at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Clownfish in an anemone beside coral at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Clownfish in an anemone beside a large sponge at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
A spotted pufferfish among finger coral at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
A nudibranch on the sand at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines
A small white and yellow critter on the bottom at Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Philippines

The Dive & Conditions

The water was 86°F (30°C).

I dove in just a rash guard because the water was warm, but many people on the boat wore wetsuits.

The dry season, roughly November to May, is generally the most popular time to dive Dauin.

June to October is the wet season, with rougher seas.

Let's Dive Together

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Austin Tuwiner

I'm a PADI Divemaster based in South Florida.

With over a decade of diving experience, I help readers become better divers, buy their next piece of gear, and plan their dream dive vacation!

Hear Austin's Story

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